Switch-operating mechanism.



W. E. WESSINGER. SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

AAAAAAAAAA N FILED PHIL-12,1013

1,078,975. Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

WILLIAM E. WESSINGER, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 12. 1913.

Patented Nov. Ti 8, 191.3.

Serial No. 747,885.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, \ViLLian E. 15s sINonn, acitizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St.Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Switch- Operating Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

My present invention relates in general to railroad switches and hasmore particular reference to mechanism for operating the switch pointsand switch point locks, one of the primary objects being to provide amechanism for this purpose which will be of simple construction, strongand durable and which can be easily operated to throw the switch pointsand, also, actuate the switch point locks without causing undue frictionor binding between the various parts.

The invention in one of its preferred embodiments will be readilyunderstood from the following description when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawings throughout the various views of whichlike reference characters refer to similar parts.

Referring to the drawings l igure 1 is a plan view of a switch withoperating mechanism connected thereto embodying my in vention; Fig. 2 isan end elevation of the switch stand and correlated parts; Fig. 3 is anenlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4t .t of Fig. 3.

On the drawings reference character 5 designates the fixed rails of aline of track and 6 designates the movable switch points which may beconstructed and pivotally mounted in the usual manner. These points arerigidly connected together by one or more tie rods '7 and are adapted tobe operated by a longitudinally movable switch operating rod 8 which ispreferably pivotally connected as at 9 to a projection 11 fixed withrespect to the switch points.

Upon the main rails 5 at the ends of the switch points are mounted thelocking blocks 12 which are slidable longitudinally of the rails to lockthe switch points in position after the switch has been thrown. Theseblocks may be of any preferred construction and may be slidably securedto the main rails in any preferred manner. They are, however, preferablyoperated from a rockshaft or lay shaft 13 mounted in suitable bearings14- on a tie and provided with upstanding arms 15 which are connectedwith the locking blocks by means of locks 16 as shown. it will beobvious that upon rocking n'lovcment of the shaft '13 the locks will besimultantmusly slid along the rails 5 into locked or unlocked position,depending upon the direction of movemmit of the shaft.

A switch stand 18 of any well known or preferred construction is mountedin the usual manner at one side of the track and carries a verticallydisposed rotatable target rod 19 to the upper end of which is securedthe usual target 21. The target rod is constructed for connection withthe end of the snitch-operating rod 8 so that the switch may be thrownupon rotation of the target rod. Any preferred form of connection may beutilized for this purpose but in the present instance I have shown thelower end of the target rod 19 as bent outwardly as shown at 22 and theend of the switchoperatingrod 8 is upturned and passed through anopening, formed in the end 22 in which position it is secured by a nut23, a pin. or other fastening means.

The switch stand is provided with the usual table 24: provided withnotches 25 to receive the operating lever which is customarily locked inengagement with one notch or the other to hold the switch againstmovement. A bracket or block 26 is bolted or pinned to the target shaft19 immediately above the table 24 and the operating handle 27 is pivotedat 28 to this bracket. It will be obvious that the handle is adapted toswing up and down in a vertical plane and that upon movement in ahorizontal plane the target rod will be rotated to throw the switchpoints.

In order to utilize the upward movement of the operating lever forunlocking the switch locks and the downward movement for again lockingthem a ftcr the switch has been thrown. l have provided mechanism forconnecting the operating; lever with the lay shaft 13 which will now bedescribed. A. member 29 is sliding'ly mounted upon the target rod abovethe operating lever, the openingthrough the member being of sulficicntsize to permit freedom of movement of the member on the rod and. also,turning of the rod in the member without cramping or binding. Acircumferential groove 31 is formed upon the periphery of the member toreceive a split collar 32 which loosely embraces the member and is freeto revolve thereon, but is incapable of longitudinal movement relativelyto the member. The two halves of the collar are held together by bolts33, or other preferred fastening means. Below the collar the member 29is provided with laterally extending cars 34: to which the upper end ofa link or reach rod 35 is connected by means of a pin or bolt 36. Theseears may be connected with the member 29 in any preferred manner, butone practical and cheap way of accomplishing the result is to cast themember and ears in one integral structure. The lower end of the link 35is pivotally connected by a bolt 37 with an arm 38 secured on the layshaft 13, this arm being positioned on the shaft so that when the member29 is lowered on the rod the shaft will be rocked in a clockwisedirection, viewing Fig. 2, to throw the switch locks into the lockedposition shown in Fig. 1. Nhen the parts are in the position shown inFig. 2 the locking blocks 12 will be in unlocked position. The handle 27is connected with the splitring 82 by a pair of links 39 attachedpreferably by screw-bolts 41 at their upper ends to opposite sides ofthe split collar and at their lower ends by elongated bolts 42 with thehandle.

Assuming that the switch is set and locked with the locking blocks inthe position shown in Fig. 1, the handle will be engaged in one of thenotches 25, the member 29 will be lowered, and the arm 38 will be thrownto the right, viewing Fig. 2. When it is desired to operate the switchthe handle 27 is raised to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby rockingthe shaft 13 through the intermediary of the links 39, the split collar32, the member 89 and the link 35 to release the locking blocks 12. Thehandle may now be swung in a horizontal plane to rotate the target rodand throw the switch points and this movement may be efiected withoutcramping or binding the lock operating mechanism, by reason of the factthat the collar 32 turns loosely in the groove 31 of the member 29, sothat the collar turns with the handle while the member 29 remainsmotionless on the rotating target rod. hen the switch has been set thehandle is again lowered thereby returning the parts to normal lockedposition.

It is believed that my invention and its mode of operation will beclearly understood from the foregoing without further description and itwill be obvious that various modifications in the structural detailsdisclosed may be resorted to within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a switch stand, atarget rod mounted thereon, a switch operating rod arranged to bereciprocated by said target rod,

a lock operating shaft, a member slidingly mounted on said target rodabove said switch stand, a link connecting said member with said shaft,and means for imparting a sliding movement to said member on said targetrod whereby to operate said shaft.

2. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a rotatabletarget rod, a switch operating rod connected therewith to be operatedupon rotation of the target rod, a switch lock operating shaft, a memberslidingly and rotatably mounted on said target rod, a link connectingsaid member with said shaft, a handle for rotating said target rod, andswivel connections between said handle and said member whereby themember may be raised and lowered by means of the handle withoutpartaking of the rotary n movement of the target rod.

3. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a rotatabletarget rod, mechanism connected therewith for operating a switch uponrotation of said rod, a switch lock operating shaft, a slidable memberloosely embracing said target rod, a handle arranged to operate saidtarget rod and pivotally mounted to swing in a vertical plane, a collarembracing said member, a

link connecting said collar with said handle I whereby said collar andmember may be moved up and down on the target rod by means of thehandle, said collar permitting turning movement of the handle to operatethe target rod without turning said member, and a link connecting saidmember with said lock operating shaft whereby said shaft will be rockedupon movement of the member.

4:. In a switch operating mechanism, the I combination of a rotatabletarget rod, a switch lock operating shaft, armember slidingly mounted onsaid rod, a link connecting said member with said shaft, an operatinghandle connected with said target rod for rotating the same andpivotally mounted to swing up and down, and means connecting said handleand said member whereby said member will be moved up and downsynchronously with the handle but will not be afiected by rotarymovement of the handle to operate the target rod.

5. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a rotary targetrod, a switchlock operating shaft, a member slidable on said target rodand connected with said shaft to rock the shaft upon sliding movement onsaid target rod, a collar loosely embracing said member and movableangularly with respect to said memberbut immovable longitudinallythereof, a handle connected with said target rod and pivoted to swing ina vertical plane, and a plurality of links connected at each end withsaid handle and said collar, whereby upon movement of the handle in ahorizontal plane to operate the target red the collar will turn on saidmember and upon movement of said handle in a vertical plane said memberwill be moved along the target rod to operate said shaft.

6. In a switch operating mechanism, the combination of a switch stand, atarget rod rotatably mounted in said stand, a member loosely embracingsaid rod, switch-lock op- 10 crating mechanism connected with saidmember, and means for reciprocating said member on the rod to operatethe switch lock, said target rod being capable of rotation within andrelatively to said member to operate the switch.

\VILLIAM E. VVESSINGER.

Witnesses:

CARL E. STAKY, L. V. CooLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

